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NanoShell Wiki
Overview of Nanoshells A nanoshell is nanoparticle that contain a very small core which is surrounded by a thin sheet of metal. By changing the radius and thickness of the core and metal shell, the nanoshells are able to absorb different electromagnetic wavelengths. Nanoshells can absorb light of various wavelengths including infrared. Current Status of Research One area of research includes the treatment of cancer and tumors. By increasing the radius of the core and decreasing the thickness of the shell, the nanoshell are able to absorb infrared. These nanoshell can be deployed to areas of tumor development where near infrared light can be applied, thus heating the particle and killing nearby tumorous cells. Gold nanoshells have been the primary candidate as they strongly absorb Near Infrared Light(800nm), with infrared light being able to penetrate tissue, and covert it to heat. Trials using mice models have been successful in removing tumors using nanoshell-assisted photo-thermal therapy. In a recent experiment conducted by East China Normal University and Tongji University, they were able to develop "smart" gold nanoshells which were coated with an anticancer drug, doxorubicin and peptide A54 that were able to effectively kill cancerous liver cells while not damaging surrounding healthy cells. The uptake of the Gold nanoshells to cancer liver cells with the peptide A54 was three times more effective than without the peptide A54 (Liang, li, & liu, 2014). Clinical trials are currently being conducted. Availability of Nanoshells Nano shells can be purchased from a variety of websites that offer worldwide shipping including nanocomposix.com. Current and/or future applications of Nanoshells Nanoshells are still being researched and are only used in lab settings. However there are promising future applications of nanoshells in the bio-medical industry. Since nanoshells have a large optical absorption spectrum and scattering cross-section they can be used as contrasting agents for imaging. Risk-benefit analysis Benefits * non-invasive treatment of cancer * high resolution imaging for cancer and tumor detection * Health and safety precautions ] Environmental impact Nanoshells do not directly impact the environment. However the materials that consist of the nanoshells are found through mining and thus indirectly impact the environment. Indirect impacts of mining include erosion, loss of biodiversity, contamination of soil and water. Regulations or guidelines already in place and suggestions for future regulation It is currently restricted to lab settings and clinical studies are restricted to FDA sanctioned sites. nanoshells do not pose any References Cancer Treatment - AuroLase Therapy, Cancer, Tumors, Nanoshells, Nanoparticles, Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2015, from http://www.nanospectra.com/technology/aurolasetherapy.html Gold Nanoshells. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2015, from http://nanocomposix.com/collections/nanoshells Hirsch, L. R., Stafford, R. J., Bankson, J. A., Sershen, S. R., Rivera, B., Price, R. E., … West, J. L. (2003). Nanoshell-mediated near-infrared thermal therapy of tumors under magnetic resonance guidance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 100(23), 13549–13554. doi:10.1073/pnas.2232479100. Retrieved February 27,2015, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC263851/ Liang, Z., Li, X., & Liu, S. (2014). ‘Smart’ gold nanoshells for combined cancer chemotherapy and hyperthermia.Biomedical Materials, 9(2). Retrieved February 27, 2015, from http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-605X/9/2/025012 Photo-thermal tumor ablation in mice using near infrared-absorbing nanoparticles. D. Patrick O'Neal, Leon R. Hirsch, Naomi J. Halas, J. Donald Payne, Jennifer L. West Cancer Lett. 2004 June 25; 209(2): 171–176. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2004.02.004 Category:Browse